The Sin of Prayerlessness

Ir conscience is to do its work, and the contrite heart is to feel its misery, it is necessary that each individual should mention his sin by name. The confessicn must be severely personal. In a meeting of ministers there is probably no single sin which each one of us ought to acknowledge with deeper shame — ‘‘Guilty, verily guilty’’ — than the sin of prayerlessness.

‘What is it, then, that makes prayerlessness such a great sin? At first it is looked upon merely as a weakness. There is so much talk about lack of time, and all sorts of distractions, that the deep guilt of the situation is not recognized. Let it be our honest desire that, for the future, the sin of prayerlessness may be to us truly sinful. Consider —

I. WHat A REPROACH IT Is TO God. — There is the holy and most glorious God who invites us to come to Him, to hold converse with Him, to ask from Him such things as we need, and to experience what a blessing there is in fellowship with Him. He has created us in His own image, and has redeemed us by His own Son, so that in converse with Him we might find our highest glory and salvation. ath

What use do we make of this heavenly privilege? How many there are who take only five minutes for prayer! They say that they have no time, and that the heart desire for prayer is lacking; they do not know how to spend half an hour with God! It is not that they absolutely do not pray; they pray every day — but they have no joy in prayer, as a token of communion with God which shows that God is everything to them.

If a friend comes to visit them, they have time, they make time, even at the cost of sacrifice, for the sake of enjoying converse with him. Yes, they have time for everything that really interests them, but no time to practise fellowship with God, and delight themselves in Him! They find time for a creature who can be of service to them; but day after day, month after month passes, and there is no time to spend one hour with God.

Do not our hearts begin to acknowledge what a dishonour, what a despite of God this is, that I dare — to say I cannot find time for fellowship with Him? If this sin begins to appear plain to us, shall we not — ’ with deep shame ery out: ‘‘Woe is me, for I am. undone, O God; be merciful to me, and forgive this awful sin of prayerlessness.’’ Consider further —

Il. Iv 1s THE CAUSE OF A DEFICIENT SPIRITUAL LIFE. — It is a proof that, for the most part, our life is still under the power of ‘‘the flesh.’’ Prayer is the pulse of life; by it the doctor can tell what is the condition of the heart. The sin of prayerlessness is a proof for the ordinary Christian or minister, that the life of God in the soul is in deadly sickness and weakness.:

Much is said, and many complaints are made, about the feebleness of the Church to fulfil her calling, to exercise an influence over her members, to deliver them from the power of the world, and to bring them to a life of holy consecration to God. Much is also spoken about her indifference to the millions of heathen whom Christ entrusted to her, that she might make known to them His love and salvation. What is the reason why many thousand3 of Christian workers in the world have not a greater infinence? Nothing save this — the prayerlessness of their service. In the midst of all their zeal in the study and in the work of the Church, of all their faithfulness in preaching and conversation with the people, they lack that ceaseless prayer which has attached to it the sure promise of the Spirit, and the power from on high. It is nothing but the sin of prayerlessness which is the cause of the lack of a powerful spiritual life! Consider further —

Ill. THe DREADFUL LOSS WHICH THE CHURCH SUF-FERS AS A RESULT OF PRAYERLESSNESS OF THE MIN-IstER. — It is the business of a minister to train believers up to a life of prayer; but how can a leader do this, if he himself understands little the art of conversing with God, and of receiving from the Holy Spirit, every day, out of Heaven, abundant grace for himself and for his work? A minister cannot lead a congregation higher than he is himself. He cannot with enthusiasm point out a way, or explain a work, in which he is not himself walking or living.

How many thousands of Christians there are who know next to nothing of the blessedness of prayer fellowship with God! How many there are who know something of it, and long for a further increase of this knowledge, but in the preaching of the Word they are not persistently urged to keep on till they obtain the blessing. The reason is simply and only that the minister understands so little about the secret of powerful prayer, and does not give prayer the place in his service which, in the nature of the case, and in the will of God, is indispensably necessary. Oh, what a difference we should notice in our congregations, if ministers could be brought to see in its right light the sin of prayerlessness, and were delivered from it! Once more consider —

IV. THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO ALL. MEN — as we are commanded by Christ to do — so long as this sin is not overcome and cast out.

Many feel that the great need of Missions is the obtaining of men and women who will give themselves to the Lord to strive in prayer for the salvation of souls. It has also been said that God is eager and able to deliver and bless the world He has redeemed, if His people were but willing, if they were but ready, to ery to Him day and night. But how can congregations be brought to that, unless there comes, first, an entire change in ministers, and that they begin to see that the indispensable thing is not preaching, not pastoral visitation, not church work, but fellowship with God in prayer till they are. clothed with power from on High?

Oh, that all thought and work and expectation concerning the Kingdom might drive us to the acknowledgment of the sin of prayerlessness! God help us to root it out! God deliver us from it through the blood and power of Christ Jesus! God teach every minister of the Word to see what a glorious place he may occupy, if he first of all is delivered from this root of evils; so that with courage and joy, in faith and perseverance, he can go on with his God!

‘The sin of prayerlessness! The Lord lay the burden of it so heavy on our hearts, that we may not rest till it is taken far from us through the name and - power of Jesus. He will make this possible for us.

A Witness FRoM AMERICA,

In 1898, there were two members of the Presbytery, New York, who attended the Northfield Conference for the deepening of the spiritual life. They returned to their work with the fire of a new enthusiasm. They endeavoured to bring about a revival in the entire Presbytery. In a meeting which they held, the chairman was guided to ask the brethren a question concerning their prayer-life: ‘‘Brethren,’’ said he, ‘‘let us to-day make confession before God and each other. It will do us good. Will every one who spends half an hour every day with God in connection with his work, hold up a hand?’’ One hand was held up. He made a further request: ‘‘ All who thus spend fifteen minutes, hold up a hand.’’ Not half of the hands were held up. Then he said: ‘‘Prayer, the working power of the Church of Christ, and half of the workers make hardly any use of it! All who spend five minutes hold up hands.’’ All hands went up. But one man came later with the confession that he was not quite sure if he spent five minutes in prayer every day. ‘‘It is,’’ said he, ‘‘a terrible revelation of how little time I spend with God.”’ if